Sunday, 1 September 2013

Gandhi to rescue our rupee

Why should we depend on MNCs to eat potato chips and gulp soft drinks?

Gandhian economics is not bullock cart economics

Pramila Krishnan

Chennai, September1: Mahatma Gandhi gave
solutions to enhance the economic development of India, but we have failed to
implement his models in a big way, says Gandhian, A. Annamalai, director of the
Gandhian study centre in Chennai. Annamalai spoke to me about how economic
policies framed without following Gandhian values have failed, and what are the
immediate measures that can save us from this abysmal situation.

Question: How can Gandhian economics shake us out of the
present economic slowdown?

Annamalai: Gandhian economics is the best policy to develop
India in a sustainable manner. For example, we celebrate allopathy and call our
native medicine as alternative medicine; the same thing has happened with our
economics now. Instead of strengthening our foothold in agriculture as Gandhi
asked us, we invited multinational companies (MNC) to invest in every field in
India. A foreign firm sets up a company only to earn more or use the cheap
labour available here. If his profits plummet, he simply shuts up without
bothering about the workers and consumers. So we have to understand that
foreign investment happens because MNCs want to flourish and are not bothered
about the welfare of Indians. As far as possible, we should have decentralised
production and distribution for all goods.

Annamalai: We have to understand that MNCs take a fresh
load of workers every year. But do they expand their units? They get rid of
workers and take new people every year. This creates an illusion that MNCs give
employment to the masses. If the recruitment had really benefited us, why
should the unemployment index soar in the country? Employment by MNCs has
really benefited only the creamy layer of society.

Are Gandhian economics suitable for this era of
consumerism?

Annamalai: Most people relate Gandhian economics with
bullock cart economics and think it suitable only for villages. Gandhi also
preached distribution of wealth. If you think a car is an essential need, it
should be made available for the last citizen of this country. Ours is an
agro-based economy. Unless we invest and improve agriculture, we won’t be able
to see growth and empowerment of the common man. Privatisation and
globalisation are not the roadmaps for Vallarasu India (superpower India). Why
should we depend on MNCs to eat potato chips and gulp soft drinks? Can’t we
produce and sell them locally? Localisation and swadeshi consumerism should be
encouraged to free us from MNCs and fight economic slowdown.